The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires Local Development Documents to be prepared with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development.  The Council is legally required to subject their Local Development Frameworks (LDF) to both Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Sustainability Appraisals. The requirement for SEA originates at the European level, while that for Sustainability Appraisals has been introduced through legislation by central Government.

Sustainability Appraisal

The purpose of sustainability appraisal is to appraise the social, environmental and economic effects of the policies in a Local Development Document from the outset of the preparation process.  Each proposed option for the various documents will be appraised and tested against the sustainability objectives set out in the Scoping Report.  Some options may be discounted if proved to have an overall adverse affect on achieving the sustainability objectives.  The results will form a Sustainability Appraisal Report that will accompany each Development Planning Document (DPD) and Supplementary Planning Document at various stages during their production.

Scoping Report: Core Strategy and Plan E

In 2005 Epsom & Ewell Borough Council produced a Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (pdf - 229kb). This provided the framework for the appraisals of the Core Strategy and Plan E (the Area Action Plan for Epsom Town Centre). The Scoping Report identifies a number of sustainability objectives, which are informed and monitored by a number of indicators (pdf - 73kb). In developing the Scoping Report, the Council has taken into account other relevant policies, plans and programmes (pdf - 710kb) from the international level, through to the local level, which are likely to influence the LDF. This list is kept as up to date as possible.

Scoping Report: Delivery Development Plan Document

The Council has prepared a Scoping Report (pdf - 439kb) to provide the framework for the appraisal of the emerging 'Delivery DPD'. The Delivery DPD will allocate sites for development and contain a variety of policies to shape future development in the Borough. The Scoping Report is supported by a number of indicators (pdf - 35kb).

Appropriate Assessment

The Habitats Directive (European Union Directive 292/43/EEC) provides legal protection for habitats and species of European importance. If a plan or project is likely to have a significant impact on an internationally designated site then an Appropriate Assessment will need to be undertaken. Although there are no internationally designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) or Special Protection Areas (SPAs) within the Borough of Epsom & Ewell, the Council has carried out a Screening Assessment (pdf - 1.54mb).